News from Seattle's Office of Economic Development

The Seattle City Council voted yesterday to renew the Metropolitan Improvement District (MID) in Downtown Seattle for another 10 years, expanding the MID’s service area from 225 to 285 square blocks with the addition of the Belltown neighborhood and several added blocks in Pioneer Square.

The MID provides a broad range of services to Downtown that go beyond those provided by City of Seattle, including – streetscape cleaning, public safety, human services outreach, hospitality, and other services. The MID’s work is designed to keep Downtown’s participating neighborhoods inviting, clean and safe. The new service areas will begin on July 1, 2013.

Jim Miller, president of the Belltown Business Association, said his neighborhood is excited to be part of the MID. “We require added services in order to address our crime, human service and cleaning needs beyond what the City could offer. Now, as part of the MID, we’ll get the help we need.”

Each day, the MID’s team of 62 uniformed Ambassadors can be seen providing services in the Denny Triangle, Pioneer Square, Retail Core, Waterfront and West Edge neighborhoods, and now Belltown. MID Ambassadors clean streets and alleys, remove graffiti, help visitors find their way, coordinate services for people in need and much more. The MID also employs off-duty police officers who help reduce crime in special emphasis areas.

Among the enhancements a renewed MID will bring are:

Additional MID Ambassadors for sidewalk and curb cleaning.

Additional off-duty SPD teams to focus on drug activity and other illegal behavior.

New retail recruitment program to help fill street-level storefront vacancies.

HOW TO FIND AND HIRE THE BEST EMPLOYEESINC.It’s no secret that great people build great companies, so it’s baffling that more companies don’t treat recruitment as the single most important department. Red Frog has treated it this way from day one with spectacular results: they currently hire just one out of every 750 applicants. Here’s how you can get the best employees.

AMBITIOUS NEW PROPOSAL CALLS FOR LINKING DOWNTOWN TO WATERFRONTSEATTLE TIMESA year after James Corner, the acclaimed designer of New York’s High Line project, began meeting with Seattle residents, he and his design team have reached some consensus with the Seattle Central Waterfront Committee, which is charged with delivering a strategic plan to Mayor Mike McGinn and the City Council. The public is invited to discuss plans to redesign the Seattle waterfront. The next forum is today from 5:30-7 p.m. at Town Hall.

CROWD DYNAMICS: WALK THIS WAYTHE ECONOMISTFor years urban planners have emphasised the needs of the motorist over those of the pedestrian. Thanks partly to greenery, partly to a greater understanding of how pedestrians behave, and partly to concerns about social cohesion, priorities are changing.

Ten things you might not know about the economy Crosscut
Washington State just had some encouraging news – the unemployment rate is decreasing. But another example of today’s economy is student debt in the U.S. is now greater than credit-card debt. There are some more possible surprises, and economic signs to keep watching.

Waterfront Park: courted by Corner Crosscut
The lead designer for Seattle’s central waterfront park, James Corner, provides a seductive first look at his concepts. He proposes nothing less than to “re-center” the region around Elliott Bay. “We do indeed have the opportunity to reshape our waterfront into a truly green place – in all the dimensions that “green” implies, working with water and energy, creating habitat, and nurturing our economy and our culture in the process,” said Corner.

The new rules of building customer loyalty Inc.
Do you want your customers to stick to you like glue? Today it takes more than a punch-card or priority line. Take a look at some helpful tips for building customer loyalty for your brand.

As a service to the Seattle business community, the Office of Economic Development curates a daily business news blast, Daily Digest. As a feature on Bottom Line, we’re posting a handful of stories from the Daily Digest every day. Find the stories informative or helpful? Keep checking Bottom Line or sign up for Daily Digest to receive the full version in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Daily Digesthere.

Microsoft boosts dividend 23 percent, increases confidence in the economic recovery Seattle TimesMicrosoft said Tuesday it is raising its quarterly dividend for the first time in two years in a move that will return more of the software maker’s nearly $37 billion cash hoard to its shareholders. The increase signals Microsoft is feeling more confident that the economy won’t lapse back into recession.

New York firm wins Seattle waterfront design jobPuget Sound Business JournalJames Corner Field Operations, a New York-based landscape design firm, has been selected to design nine acres of new waterfront public space and a new surface street on Alaskan Way as part of the viaduct replacement project in Seattle.

University District Farmers Market ranks among 12 of the best U.S. farmers marketsTheDailyGreen
On Saturdays, more than 50 farmers sell delicacies like fiddlehead ferns, raw cow and sheep’s milk cheeses and Mangalitsa pork at the University District Farmers Market. This recognized farmers market is open year-round and part of the Neighborhood Farmers Market Alliance (NFMA). Please visit the NFMA website to learn more about the University District Farmers Market and other markets operated by the Alliance.

As a service to the Seattle business community, the Office of Economic Development curates a daily business news blast, Daily Digest. As a feature on Bottom Line, we’re posting a handful of stories from the Daily Digest every day. Find the stories informative or helpful? Keep checking Bottom Line or sign up for Daily Digest to receive the full version in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Daily Digesthere.

U.S., Seattle port traffic increasingPuget Sound Business Journal
Cargo volumes at ports across the U.S., including the Port of Seattle, are rising compared with last year and are expected to continue to rise.

Mantra for Seattle summer: ‘Tourism Matters’KOMO News
Tuesday was the official launch of the tourist season in Seattle, and the city’s tourism industry is fighting for a comeback. The launch was marked with a flag atop the Space Needle that read “Tourism matters.”

‘Walk & Talk’ with Councilmember Sally Bagshaw – May 18thFeet First
Join the quarterly Feet First Walk & Talk with Seattle City Councilmember Sally Bagshaw this May 18th and learn about public space plans for a redeveloped waterfront.

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As a service to the Seattle business community, the Office of Economic Development curates a daily business news blast, Daily Digest. As a new trial feature on Bottom Line, we’re posting a handful of stories from the Daily Digest every day. Find the stories informative or helpful? Keep checking Bottom Line or sign up for Daily Digest to receive the full version in your inbox every day. Subscribe to the Daily Digesthere.

Many businesses that operate in downtown Seattle, especially those close to the waterfront or the Alaskan Way Viaduct, are concerned about the future of this crucial area. Even though planning is currently underway, there are still many opportunities for individuals, businesses, and advocacy groups to weigh in on the future of the waterfront.

In October 2009, the Seattle City Council adopted Ordinance 123142, which created the Central Waterfront Partnerships Committee. This Committee was tasked with advising the City on issues relating to designing, developing and managing a series of premiere public spaces on the Central Waterfront and directing the City of Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development to develop a project framework to guide its design.

Interested members of the public may attend all Committee meetings, including three upcoming sessions in April, May, and June. Written comments from the public will be collected at each meeting and reviewed by the committee prior to its next meeting.

Thursday, April 15, 2010
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, May 20, 2010
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, June 17, 2010
3:30 – 5:30 p.m.

All meetings will take place at the Bertha Knight Landes Room in Seattle City Hall (600 4th Avenue). Click here for a detailed meeting schedule.

Review related press coverage for more information on what’s new at the waterfront: